14 February 2025
FUNDING CALL
Catalyst Leaders (Round 1)
About the Scheme
- Catalyst Fund supports activities that initiate, develop and foster collaborations leveraging international science and innovation for New Zealand’s benefit.
- Catalyst: Leaders supports incoming and outgoing targeted international fellowships for exceptional individuals that cannot be supported through other means. The following funding schemes are open in Round 1:
- International Leader Fellowships (up to 3 awards): Supports exceptional individuals from any country outside New Zealand to catalyse science and innovation capability and capacity development in New Zealand for a minimum of 4 weeks per year for up to 3 years.
- Julius von Haast Fellowship Award (up to 1 award): Supports an internationally recognised researcher from Germany to undertake research in New Zealand for a minimum of 4 weeks per year for 3 years.
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Postdoctoral Fellowships (up to 4 awards): Supports excellent New Zealand post-doctoral researchers to do research in Japan for 12-24 months.
- New Zealand - China Scientist Exchange Programme (up to 10 Awards): Supports the development of research linkages with China by enabling New Zealand researchers to visit Chinese research organisations for 2-6 weeks.
Key Things to Note
Notable changes for the 2025 funding opportunities
The Catalyst Fund investment plan (released in December 2024) identifies six priority research areas, which are:
- Quantum technology
- Health and biomedicine
- Biotechnologies
- Artificial Intelligence
- Antarctic research
- Space and Earth observations
Subject to the number and quality of submitted applications, proposals aligning with the Catalyst Fund priority research areas are expected to make up 75% of awarded Catalyst: Leaders contracts unless otherwise noted in the specific programme requirement for each sub-programme. The remaining 25% of awarded contracts can be in any field of research including social sciences and the humanities.
Assessment Criterion 3 has been amended to further reward proposals that articulate a clear line of sight to expected benefits of national and global significance in line with New Zealand’s science priorities, and which initiate link with relevant New Zealand research capabilities to facilitate research/knowledge transfer.
Grant Value
International Leader Fellowships
Up to $50,000 per annum for up to three years comprising:
- $20,000 salary support
- $20,000 research support and travel allowance
- $10,000 host institution administration
Julius von Haast Fellowship Award
Up to $50,000 per annum for three years comprising:
- $20,000 salary support
- $20,000 research support and travel allowance
- $10,000 host institution administration
JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowships
- Round trip air-ticket (based on JSPS regulations)
- Monthly maintenance allowance of ¥362,000 (~ NZ $4,172)
- Settling allowance of ¥200,000 (~ NZ $2,305)
- Overseas travel, accident and sickness insurance is covered
New Zealand - China Scientist Exchange Programme
- NZ$3,000 travel grant
- ~NZ$48.32 (or RMB Yuan 200) daily allowance
- Accommodation and domestic travel costs within China are covered by the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST)
Eligibility and other requirements
International Leader Fellowships
- The International Leader must not already hold employment in NZ.
- For the 2025 round, please note that this fellowship is expected to award 75% of contracts that align with the outlined priority research areas. The remaining 25% can be in any field of research (including social sciences and the humanities).
Julius von Haast Fellowship Award
- Open to all fields of research, science and technology (including social sciences and the humanities), and related areas of expertise.
- Must be a German national or permanent resident that is well established in the German research system and has an international reputation as an innovative researcher.
- Applicant must be currently working within the German research/science sector and have been employed for no less than five years (in total) in public or private German research or academic institutions (unless otherwise agreed to by Royal Society Te Aparangi).
- The Julius von Haast Fellow must not already hold employment in NZ.
JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowships
- Proposals support collaborative research in all fields of research including the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences.
- Applicant must hold a doctoral degree awarded on or after 2 April 2019 (or have it conferred prior to start of Fellowship).
- Preferred start date is 1 September 2025 but no later than 30 November 2025.
- Applicants must complete both the Catalyst JSPS PDF Application Form AND the JSPS FY2025 Application Form Standard. Both forms are available from the Catalyst Portal and must be submitted through the Portal.
- Applications are subject to a number of other specific requirements - see Guidelines for more information.
New Zealand - China Scientist Exchange Programme
Preference will be given to those applications under the listed priority research fields (as listed above). However, applications for other fields of research will be accepted as well:
- Environment science
- Food science
- Health and biomedical sciences
-Applicants must be able to travel on required dates (September 2025).
-Applicants must be able to meet all passport and visa requirements to visit China.
-Applicants are subject to final approval by the International Partner (CSTEC).
If you have any funder specific queries or require funder portal help, please contact the Research Funding Team.
Internal Deadline: 12 noon, Tuesday 8 April 2025
Funds Categorisation Information
Submission Process
- To register, please email the following information to the Research Funding Team via submissions@auckland.ac.nz: title, full name, email address, faculty and department or click the above button to get registered on the portal.
- You will then receive the link to access your account on the Catalyst Portal. Once complete, please submit it to the Research Funding Team by 12 noon, Tuesday 8 April 2025.
- Create a record in the Research Funding Module (RFM) uploading all application documents and submit for faculty sign off by 12 noon, Tuesday 8 April 2025.
- Following on from the QA, the Research Funding Team will submit the application on your behalf to the Funder before the deadline.
Please note: Applications are required to be received on or before the above-mentioned deadline to allow sufficient time for the Quality Assurance (QA) process and any associated rework/revision of the application by the Principal Investigator.
